Scouting Report:
Tall, athletic lefty converted from starter to reliever in the 2008-09
off-season. Four-seam fastball sits between 92-93 mph, while his
two-seamer goes between 88-90 mph with more downward break. Uses his
fastball aggressively, going after hitters without painting corners. Inconsistent
command. Deceptive delivery. Also mixes in a decent low-80s
slurve, which appears to have replaced his mid-70s curveball in the
breaking ball department. His low-70s changeup is a
work-in-progress that is only used occasionally.
In the past, Richardson
had a tendency to hang the ball up in the zone and get pounded. He
improved immensely in this area in 2009. Great athlete and competitor, also a fantastic
basketball player.